Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 127 : 1-2, 3, 4-5
Blessed are you who fear YHVH and walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your toil; you will be blessed and favoured.
Your wife, like a vine, will bear fruits in your home; your children, like olive shoots, will stand around your table.
Such are the blessings bestowed upon the man who fears YHVH. May YHVH praise you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosperous all the days of your life.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Proverbs 31 : 10-13, 19-20, 30-31
The woman of character, where is she to be found? She is more precious than any jewel. Her husband has complete confidence in her; she will be of great benefit to him. She brings him only good and not evil, all the days of her life. She has obtained wool and flax, and works them with skilful hands.
She puts her hand to the distaff and her fingers hold the spindle. She reaches out her hand to the helpless and gives to the poor. Charm is deceptive and beauty useless; the woman who is wise is the one to praise. May she enjoy the fruits of her labour and may all praise her for her works.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Offertory
Psalm 129 : 1–2
De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi orationem meam : de profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine.
English translation
From the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my prayer, from the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord.
Secret Prayer of the Priest
Haec nos oblatio, Deus, mundet, quaesumus, et renovet, gubernet et protegat. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
May this oblation, o God, cleanse, renew, govern and protect us, we beseech You. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Communion
Mark 11 : 24
Amen, dico vobis, quidquid orantes petitis, credite, quia accipietis, et fiet vobis.
English translation
Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done unto you.
Post-Communion Prayer
Caelestibus, Domine, pasti deliciis : quaesumus; ut semper eadem, per quae veraciter vivimus, appetamus. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Being fed with celestial delights, we beseech You, o Lord, that we may ever hunger after those things by which we truly live. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
Matthew 13 : 31-35
In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus turbis parabolam hanc : Simile est regnum caelorum grano sinapis, quod accipiens homo seminavit in agro suo : quod minimum quidem est omnibus seminibus : cum autem creverit, majus est omnibus oleribus, et fit arbor, ita ut volucres caeli veniant et habitent in ramis ejus.
Aliam parabolam locutus est eis : Simile est regnum caelorum fermento, quod acceptum mulier abscondit in farinae satis tribus, donec fermentatum est totum. Haec omnia locutus est Jesus in parabolis ad turbas : et sine parabolis non loquebatur eis : ut impleretur quod dictum erat per Prophetam dicentem : Aperiam in parabolis os meum, eructabo abscondita a constitutione mundi.
English translation
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to the multitudes : “The kingdom of heaven is likened to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field : which is the least indeed of all seeds, but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the branches thereof.”
Another parable He spoke to them, “The kingdom of heaven is likened to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes, and without parables He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 43 : 8-9 and Psalm 129 : 1-2
Liberasti nos, Domine, ex affligentibus nos : et eos, qui nos oderunt, confudisti.
Priest : In Deo laudabimur tota die, et in Nomine Tuo confitebimur in saecula.
Alleluja, Alleluja.
Priest : De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi orationem meam. Alleluja.
English translation
You have delivered us, o Lord, from those who afflicted us, and had put them to shame that hate us.
Priest : In God we will glory all the day, and in Your Name we will give praise forever.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Priest : From the depths I have cried to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my prayer. Alleluia.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Thessalonicenses – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 1 : 2-10
Fratres : Gratias agimus Deo semper pro omnibus vobis, memoriam vestri facientes in orationibus nostris sine intermissione, memores operis fidei vestrae, et laboris, et caritatis, et sustinentiae spei Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ante Deum et Patrem nostrum : scientes, fratres, dilecti a Deo, electionem vestram : quia Evangelium nostrum non fuit ad vos in sermone tantum, sed et in virtute, et in Spiritu Sancto, et in plenitudine multa, sicut scitis quales fuerimus in vobis propter vos.
Et vos imitatores nostri facti estis, et Domini, excipientes verbum in tribulatione multa, cum gaudio Spiritus Sancti : ita ut facti sitis forma omnibus credentibus in Macedonia et in Achaja. A vobis enim diffamatus est sermo Domini, non solum in Macedonia et in Achaja,sed et in omni loco fides vestra, quae est ad Deum, profecta est, ita ut non sit nobis necesse quidquam loqui.
Ipsi enim de nobis annuntiant, qualem introitum habuerimus ad vos : et quomodo conversi estis ad Deum a simulacris, servire Deo vivo et vero, et exspectare Filium Ejus de caelis (quem suscitavit ex mortuis) Jesum, qui eripuit nos ab ira ventura.
English translation
Brethren, we give thanks to God for you all, making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing; being mindful of the work of your faith, and labour, and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father, knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election, for our Gospel had not been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much fullness, as you know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you were made a pattern to all who believe, in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place, your faith which is towards God, is gone forth, so that we do not need to speak anything.
For they themselves relate to us, what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven (Whom He raised from the dead), Jesus Who had delivered us from the wrath to come.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Introit
Jeremiah 29 : 11, 12, 14 and Psalm 84 : 2
Dicit Dominus : Ego cogito cogitationes pacis, et non afflictionis : invocabitis me, et ego exaudiam vos : et reducam capitivitatem vestram de cunctis locis.
Benedixisti, Domine, terram Tuam : avertisti captivitatem Jacob.
Priest : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
The Lord said, “I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me and I will hear you, and I will bring back your captivity from all places.
Lord, You have blessed Your land, You have turned away the captivity of Jacob.
Priest : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Collect
Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus : ut semper rationabilia meditantes, quae Tibi sunt placita, et dictis exsequamur et factis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Grant, we beseech You, Almighty God, that, ever fixing our thoughts on reasonable things, we may both in word and in deed do what is pleasing to You. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of God’s Wisdom that has been given and shared with all of us, God’s beloved people, which He has imparted upon all of us, who live in this world. Through His beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior Jeus Christ, the Wisdom of God has come upon all of us, dwelling in us, through the words of His revelation, the Word of God Himself in the flesh, and then also through the sending and the imparting of the Holy Spirit, coming down upon us from the Father Himself, through the Son, and thus, the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit came upon us all. And why we all focus our attention on the matter of Wisdom and knowledge of God? That is because as we approach towards the end of this current liturgical year, we are all reminded that while the cycle of time continues unabated, the time will come indeed when everything comes to an end in a reckoning, when we shall come to account for our lives and actions before God.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Wisdom, the explanation and revelation of Divine Wisdom, of what is the nature of the Wisdom of God and how the Wisdom of God comes upon this world, seeking those who are worthy and willing to embrace it. There are those who seek for the Wisdom of God, but at the same time, there are also many of those who have desired and sought for other forms of alternative ‘wisdom’ instead. They sought for the wisdom of the world, the ways and the customs of this world familiar to us. However, this ‘wisdom’ of the world, all of the corrupt ways of worldliness, all these do not lead to true satisfaction and fulfilment, and yet, we are all still easily tempted and persuaded by their allures and distractions, which ended up causing us to falter and fall away from the path of righteousness and truth. The Wisdom of God has been given to us, and yet, in our folly, we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations to sin instead.
Then, in our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, in which the Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God and the Church in Thessalonica regarding the matter of what woul happen at the end of time, when God will come and make everything right and perfect once again. St. Paul was comforting the faithful there of the assurance of the life that is to come, the eternal life which the Lord Jesus Himself has promised to all of us through His coming and revelation. This is one of the core tenets and teachings of the Christian faith, which the Lord and His disciples, the Christian missionaries have proclaimed, as the Good News to all. This is the promise of the life and existence after death, and that death is not the end of everything, or of our existence, because our time and existence in this world is one that is just temporary, and eventually, all of us should remember that we are destined and bound for Heaven, to be once again with God.
And through that assurance which St. Paul mentioned to the faithful in Thessalonica, we are all reminded that our labours and efforts in this world will not go to waste. For all those who are faithful to God and have been keeping true to His Covenant and providence, God will not abandon them and will always be with them. And while they might suffer and endure trials and tribulations in this world, and face death, but death will have no hold and power over us, because the Lord Himself has come into our midst, bearing upon Himself the punishment for our sins and purchased by the power of His own Most Precious Blood, the price for our redemption and liberation from the dominion and tyranny of sin. Hence, that is why when we die, while our physical bodies go to sleep, our souls will not perish but will go either to the Lord’s Presence, or to the preparation in Purgatory, except for all those who have rejected God, the ones who have been condemned by their sins.
In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus told to His disciples and followers, the parable of the five wise women and the five foolish women. In that parable, the five wise women or bridemaids were fully prepared for the event that they attended, as they were supposed to welcome the bridegroom to the wedding banquet, which happened at night time and they were the ones to bear the lanterns to brighten the place and the festive occasion. They brought extra oil with them so that if the bridegroom were to be delayed, they still had enough oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the five foolish women, as we heard, did not bring any extra oil with them, and they ran out of oil soon after the bridegroom was delayed. Thus, as the parable mentioned, the five foolish women failed to obtain the oil in time, and they only arrived back after the festivities have started, and thus, were excluded from the banquet.
The meaning of this parable is indeed very clear, and tied with whatever we have discussed earlier regarding the Wisdom of God and the matter of the afterlife, we are all reminded that we have to be ever vigilant and ready, and to entrust ourselves unto the Wisdom of God, in following His path and having faith in His providence. We should always keep in mind that everything which we say and do, and even whatever it is that we have not done and failed to do, when it has been within our power and calling as Christians to do so, all these will be asked of us, and they shall weigh either for us or against us on the day of the Last Judgement. Now, the question is, if we are going to trust in the Wisdom of God, entrusting ourselves in what the Lord has taught and shown us, or whether we are going to trust in worldly wisdom and paths instead.
Each one of us living in this world today have been given the great opportunity to make best use of our lives, and to do what the Lord has told and taught us to do. The choice is really ours to make, as God has given us all the freedom to choose what our next step in life will be. The path of the world may seem to be easier and more logical or more comfortable for us, since after all this is what we normally are accustomed to having in our lives, but in the end, we must have that discerning mind and the wisdom to see that the path of the Lord is the only one that will lead us all to true and everlasting happiness, joy and fulfilment. All the other paths and ways are merely distractions and temptations, which may lead us the path to our downfall if we are not careful and wise in our decisions, like those of the five foolish women. We should make good use of the time and opportunities presented to us, that we may strive to be ever always prepared in our lives, to be accountable for them to God.
May the Lord continue to help and guide us all in our journey of faith throughout our lives, and may He continue to impart His Wisdom upon each and every one of us that through His Wisdom, all of us may be better able to discern carefully our choice of path in life, and be more careful and vigilant in our choice of actions, words and deeds so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, into the temptations to sin by disobedience against God. Let us all turn towards the Lord and focus once again upon His Wisdom, truth and love. May the Lord, in His infinite Wisdom and ever enduring love for each one of us, continue to bless us and strengthen us at all times, that we may grow ever stronger in faith and be ever more devoted and closer to Him. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Matthew 25 : 1-13
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “This story throws light on what will happen in the kingdom of heaven : Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were sensible. The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were, and did not take extra oil. But those who were sensible, took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.”
“But at midnight, a cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here, come on and meet him!’ All the maidens woke up at once, and trimmed their lamps. Then the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The sensible ones answered, ‘There may not be enough for us and for you. You had better go to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.'”
“When the bridegroom came, the foolish maidens were out buying oil, but those who were ready went with him into the wedding feast, and the doors were shut. Later the other bridesmaids arrived and called out, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered, ‘Truly I do not know you.'”
“So stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Thessalonians 4 : 13-18
Brothers and sisters, we want you not to be mistaken about those who are already asleep, lest you grieve as do those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose; it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus. God will bring them together, with Jesus, and for His sake.
By the same word of the Lord, we assert this : those of us who are to be alive at the Lord’s coming, will not go ahead of those who are already asleep. When the command by the Archangel’s voice is given, the Lord, Himself, will come down from heaven, while the divine trumpet call is sounding. Then, those who have died in the Lord, will rise first; as for us who are still alive, we will be brought along with them, in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the celestial world. And we will be with the Lord forever.
So then, comfort one another with these words.
Alternative reading (shorter version)
1 Thessalonians 4 : 13-14
Brothers and sisters, we want you not to be mistaken about those who are already asleep, lest you grieve as do those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose; it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus. God will bring them together, with Jesus, and for His sake.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 